Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

Ngorongoro Crater is located in Northern Tanzania, Arusha Region, Ngorongoro district and it is six kilometers wide with nearly half of its floor is occupied by lake, and its slopes covered by a thick forest.

The crater offers a spectacular scenery from every point along the rim; from the northern and eastern side you can look out to the dramatic volcano of Oldonyo Lengai, the Great Rift Valley and Lake Natron; from the south and west you can see across the Bulbul depression.

Sometimes you can even see the distant snows of Mount Kilimanjaro far to the northeast. You will definitely enjoy camping on the rim as the view of Lengai and the Rift Valley makes for great photos taking. Camping and hiking into the crater are done with an armed ranger (armed against buffalo). The drive here passes through numerous Maasai villages and small herds of gazelle, wildebeest and dark-toned zebra in a setting. On the way to Empakaai is another seldom visited crater called Olmoti. A notch in it’s rim creates a spectacular waterfall for the Munge river, which pours through on its way to Ngorongoro Crater. There is a very pleasant hike from the Nainokanoka ranger post through the forest up to the top of the waterfall.